Thinking becomes futile in this game; emotion is the currency, and fear the commodity traded. Political rivals are painted as architects of these fears, a boogeyman lurking behind every societal ill. Yet, when the victors ascend their thrones, the fears often dissipate, not because they were addressed, but because they were illusions, mirages in the desert of political discourse.

The antidote to this pervasive fear lies in awareness, in stepping out of the shadows and into the moonlight of understanding. For example Tim Ferriss created "fear setting" as a tool to dissect and dismantle these manufactured terrors. For in fear, critical thinking withers; like prey fleeing a predator, the mind resorts to primal instincts, neglecting reason and logic.

This manipulation is not limited to the political arena. It pervades every facet of society, from insurance sales to marketing strategies. Here, too, fear is a tool, wielded to dull the senses and cloud judgment. But knowledge is power. Understanding these tactics empowers us to resist, to see beyond the smoke and mirrors.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb says we should not measure risks we are taking, but take risks we understand. Yet understanding risks is difficult and thus we are handed centralised measurements - “fear this”!

In the grand scheme of societal control, fear is a double-edged sword. It has been a guardian, a protector in our evolutionary journey, yet it has become a weapon in the hands of those seeking power. The key lies in discerning its true nature, in distinguishing between genuine threats and shadows cast by those who wish to control us.

We should recognize when fear is used as a leash, and to choose whether to break free or remain bound. It's a call to venture into the dark forest, where politician-manufactured fears have almost no power. We should be armed with awareness and critical thinking, to find our path in a world where fear is no longer the compass that guides us.

While these things sometimes have real consequences (especially war), in most cases they are but a distraction. For people who take it seriously, it creates fear and there is always a political solution. Vote for us! Give us more money! We need more power! You are powerless to fix this on your own.

Peter Diamandis says that the world's biggest problems are the world's biggest business opportunities. That's what we are being distracted from. That we - either ourselves or some entrepreneur from our community - can solve this problem. Instead we are told we should give away our power to the political and bureaucrat class.

The politicians can't reach the dark forest though. But we are already there. So the distraction makes even less sense for us. Yes, we might fear whatever spooky words come out of the Constant Crisis Networks' talking heads, but we know the politicians can never solve these problems in the dark forest.

The proper approach was described by Paul Rosenberg - the politicians and the old ways should be in our rear-view mirror. Understand enough so it does not affect us, but look forward from the Bronze Age style rulership.

So let's look up to entrepreneurs, and be entrepreneurial ourselves, avoid distractions and build a better future. Ourselves and for ourselves.